True Ace
by IncessantOblivion
Summary: FUTURE FIC - NO SPOILERS: Karasuno has lost to Shiratorizawa and Hinata is convinced it's his fault for missing the last toss. Kageyama tries to convince him he made the right decision by tossing to him, with unexpected but welcome results.
**A/N:** So I had this against-the-wall all-out make-out scene in my head and then I somewhat shamefully told my friend - the one who introduced me to Haikyuu! in the first place - about these depraved thoughts, blushing furiously all the while. Then that kind friend proved she was in the gutter alongside me by feeding me the 'true ace' line and this fic was born from the ashes of our collective corruption. My first Kagehina!

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 **True Ace  
**

Hinata slams his fist against the concrete wall in front of him, desperately trying to find a release for his rage and frustration. Pain does not register through the adrenaline coursing through his small body. He grits his teeth and clenches his jaw until it feels like it could snap, refusing to let the shameful tears pricking his eyes escape.

 _I don't deserve to cry_ , he thinks as he slams his fist against the wall again before leaning his forehead against it, gulping in deeps breaths in a pointless attempt to stop feeling.

He doesn't know where he is, though he knows it's deserted and dark enough to hide his shame. He didn't even think after they lost their Spring High finals match to Shiratorizawa. He just ran far away from everyone and everything, too quick for anyone to catch him.

 _And where was that speed when I needed it, huh?_ Hinata berates himself as he continues to gulp in air.

Hinata so badly wanted to be the ace despite his height and his position as middle blocker. He worked so hard on that new quick to ensure he deserved it, to ensure he was always getting better, being better. Yet when Kageyama gave him a perfect toss in that last play? He choked.

It was him. _He_ was the one who failed them. He should have chosen a different spike, maybe a feint. If he had spiked it even a few inches further to the left it would have gotten past Ushijima's block. If he had just jumped higher in the first place Kageyama could have given him a higher toss and it would have gotten over the block.

 _Fuck, no matter how high I jump it's never high enough!_ As soon as they got back to practice he was going to practice jumping. He would do sprints every day twice a day up the mountain to build strength in his thighs and calves. He wouldn't stop until he could fly over every block and –

"Hinata!"

Hinata spins around as he hears his name on Kageyama's lips. _Great, just what I need. The one person I let down the most._

Kageyama has never let Hinata down when he needed him the most. There have been times when he wavered, but in the end Kageyama has always come through for him. He learned a new type of toss so Hinata could do mid-air battle like he's always wanted. He's worked tirelessly in order to accommodate Hinata's small frame and particular spiking style. He wouldn't be able to fly like he does and hit so many spikes if it weren't for Kageyama. And what did he do? When Kageyama trusted him to make that quick and win them the game they'd been working towards all year, Hinata let him down. How could he possibly face him now?

"What the hell, Hinata? I've been looking for you all over. We're all ready to leave." Usually the scary look on Kageyama's face would give him pause, but he deserves every talking down he knows is coming. This is Kageyama after all – he doesn't tolerate failure.

"Just say it, already," Hinata states when Kageyama doesn't say anything more.

Kageyama's head tilts to the side and he pouts in confusion, an expression that usually gives Hinata a warm, floaty feeling in his chest. Now it just makes his heart constrict painfully. "Say what?"

Hinata narrows his eyes at him. Yeah, even he thinks Kageyama is pretty clueless whenever they're not on a volleyball court but this is just ridiculous. "You know. Yell. Glower. Even punch me if you have to. I don't care; I deserve it." Hinata gulps down his apprehension and throws his shoulders back, determined to take whatever Kageyama wants to dish out head on. He won't hide from this anymore. He had his time to do that already.

Kageyama's confusion deepens and an impatient scowl starts to form between his brows. "I can punch you if you really want me to, but why would you want me to? Is this some sort of post-game ritual?" He turns his head to the side and mutters to himself, "I've never heard of it, but if Hinata's so set on it maybe it's worth looking into…"

Hinata huffs in frustration before crying out, "No, you idiot! You have to punch me because it's _my_ _fault_! It's my fault we lost the game!"

Kageyama stills, his expression hardening into the scary one Hinata had expected from the start. "What do you mean, _your_ fault?"

Did the room temperature just drop to below freezing? Hinata definitely thinks it did; it sure _feels_ like it did. But Kageyama is not getting mad about the right thing.

Hinata feels like pulling his hair out in exasperation. "I messed up that last toss! I wasn't in a good enough position; I wasn't high enough! And I could have spiked it further to the left to dodge Ushijima's block, or maybe I could have -"

"Stop," Kageyama growls as he takes a threatening step forward. "We lost the game because the other team was better. It's as simple as that."

Hinata is shaking his head, though he doesn't remember consciously deciding to do so. "No, you gave me the perfect toss and I could have gotten another point, stopped Shiratorizawa from scoring their final point and…" his protest trails off when Kageyama takes another step forward, forcing Hinata to instinctively back into the wall behind him.

Hinata expected Kageyama to be angry, like _scary_ angry, but he's still getting angry about the wrong thing. Hinata doesn't understand how Kageyama – _Kageyama_ , of all people – is refusing to recognise Hinata's failings. Kageyama is always the first person to recognise failings, both his own and other's. So why now, when they just lost the biggest game of the year, is he letting Hinata off the hook?

"Hinata, you dumbass," Kageyama growls down at him. "It doesn't matter if you could have made a different or better decision. Maybe if I'd made a different decision earlier on in the match on a different toss, that last toss wouldn't have been our final chance to prevent Shiratorizawa from winning. Maybe if Noya had received this serve differently, or Tsukishima blocked that spike more effectively…maybe, maybe, maybe."

Hinata is gaping up at Kageyama at this point, astounded not only by the words coming out of Kageyama's mouth but also by the sheer amount of them. Has Kageyama ever spoken so much at one time before?

"If there's one thing I've learned this year – this long, infuriating, amazing year – it's that there's a difference between recognising general weaknesses and honest mistakes. We can fix the first, whether they be team weaknesses or personal ones. However, we can't fix the second, so there's no point in dwelling on them or blaming ourselves for them. All we can do is try harder next time. There were a number of times each of us could have made different decisions that would have resulted in our victory, but we didn't. Just because the final decision happened to fall on you doesn't mean you have to shoulder all the blame for losing."

Hinata finds himself blinking rapidly, trying to absorb Kageyama's words through his astonishment at them coming from Kageyama. How had he grown so much without Hinata realising?

His words do a lot to alleviate Hinata's overwhelming guilt and shame, but there's still that soft but insistent voice in the back of his mind, a tendril of black smoke whispering through his brain, that tells him he has no business being an ace, that Kageyama should have tossed to someone more deserving of his genius. Hinata hates that even a small part of him is thinking this way – never before has he doubted himself like this. Usually _he's_ the one convincing Kageyama that they can do it, that Hinata can do it. Maybe that's why. Maybe it's because he spent all year convincing Kageyama that he could do it, that he was deserving of Kageyama's tosses, that he now feels like he betrayed Kageyama's trust. If he had only landed this final spike then he would know for sure that he was deserving of Kageyama's tosses, but he didn't and…

"I know, Kageyama," Hinata whispers, eyes downcast, "but I let you down. That's what I can't forgive myself for."

" _What_?" Kageyama barks from overhead and Hinata can feel his aura darkening further in acute displeasure.

"All year I told you that I want to be the ace, that you should toss to me. I even got you to learn a new toss! But when you needed me to come through for you, I let you down. You should have tossed to someone else. You should have tossed to Karasuno's actual ace, not me."

Suddenly, Hinata feels Kageyama's hands grip the front of his shirt and he's being lifted in the air and slammed against the wall, trapped between the hard, cold surface and Kageyama's strong forearms. Like he could move if he wanted to – Kageyama's face is close, so close, his deep blue eyes on level with Hinata's own, boring into him, and it takes Hinata a moment to be able to even breathe again.

Hinata has noticed that it has been this way for a while now with him, ever since he and Kageyama had that fight and didn't talked for weeks. He noticed the emptiness he felt somewhere in the vicinity of his heart when Kageyama was no longer a part of his daily existence. That, as much as his anger at the stubborn guy, was what kept him silent for so long. Knowing that one person had such power over the state of his existence was terrifying at best. He hadn't known how to deal with it. Hell, he _still_ didn't know how to deal with it – he just tried to ignore it and play the best volleyball he could, ensure that was his priority.

But hell, they were irrevocably intertwined now, weren't they? Volleyball and this tall, clueless, infuriating, incredible guy. He didn't know how or when it happened, but he can't imagine life without volleyball and he can't imagine volleyball without Kageyama. He can't image _life_ without Kageyama. He didn't ask for it, this feeling of needing someone, knowing you aren't completely whole without them. He didn't ask for the tingling awareness he feels every time Kageyama's aura intersects with his own. He didn't ask for all this _want_.

And fuck, he _wants_. He wants Kageyama's face against his own and skin on skin and things he didn't even know to want before he met him, things he doesn't even know how to ask for. And Kageyama is so close…so _close_ …

And yelling something in Hinata's face.

"Weren't _you_ the one who said to me after the Inter-High prelims that it was never a mistake to toss to you?" Kageyama is yelling and Hinata realises that, yeah, he did say that. And he fully believed it too…at the time.

"Maybe I was wrong!" Hinata finds himself yelling back, his voice full of more anguish than he wanted it to be. He doesn't want Kageyama to know how much the thought of not being enough of him absolutely destroys him. His hands come up to grip Kageyama's wrists in an attempt to ground himself, but he only succeeds in getting lost in the feel of Kageyama's smooth skin underneath his fingertips.

Kageyama pulls Hinata off the wall briefly before slamming him back into it. Hinata's teeth rattle in his skull, but he doesn't care. It's a good distraction from the pain spreading through his chest, from the churning in his stomach.

"How can you say that?" Kageyama's voice cracks on the last word and something inside Hinata shatters. He never meant to cause Kageyama any pain. Never. He would _never_.

"I'm not saying it's your fault, Kageyama! I saying it's _mine_!"

Kageyama's fists grasp Hinata's shirt tighter. "Shut up, shut up!" he mutters through clenched teeth. "This isn't you, Hinata!" He slams him against the wall again, quicker and less forceful this time - more out of desperation than anger - before closing his eyes and whispering, "Please, bring back my Hinata. This isn't my Hinata."

Hinata sucks in a startled, pained breath. _His Hinata? What does he mean,_ his _Hinata? I don't deserve to be his Hinata!_ He can't allow himself to be Kageyama's anything; he has to make him see sense. So even though it kills something inside of him he says, "Maybe you should toss to Karasuno's true ace next time, and we both know it isn't me."

Kageyama inhales sharply like he's just been slapped. Then he leans forward, his face filling up all the spaces in Hinata's vision. "You may not be Karasuno's true ace yet," Kageyama growls, his blue eyes pinning Hinata's own with their intensity and sincerity, "but I will _always_ toss to you, I will _always_ choose you, because you're _my_ true ace."

Hinata's world stops. It just stops. His heart, his breath, his thoughts. All he knows in this moment is Kageyama. All he feels is Kageyama. Kageyama, who called Hinata his true ace. And Hinata realises in that moment of silence that he's okay if he's never Karasuno's ace, or any team's ace, as long as he's Kageyama's.

So, really, considering the gravity of that moment, of that realisation, he can't be blamed for what he does next.

He kisses him. His lips close the scant inches separating them and he kisses Kageyama. It's firm but quick, because as soon as their lips touch he realises what he's done and retreats immediately, mind clanging with panic and humiliation.

 _Holy shit, what did I just do?_ Of all the questionable and idiotic things he's done in his life, this has got to be right up there with the worst of them. _What was I thinking?_ _Oh, that's right! I wasn't._ He was _reacting_ and speaking of reacting, why isn't Kageyama?

Kageyama is just blinking in what looks like astonishment – all slack-jawed and wide-eyed. Hinata wishes that didn't look so cute on him. He also wishes he hadn't noticed that because now he wants to kiss him again.

Then, as Hinata looks on in abstract horror at the thought of kissing Kageyama again when the guy hasn't even recovered from the first one, Kageyama's expression becomes one of confusion – all pouty lips and furrowed brow. And fuck, that's the expression Hinata loves the most. He always wants to kiss away those lines between his eyebrows and run his fingers across those pouting lips.

 _Stop thinking of kissing, Hinata!_

Kageyama's confusion soon morphs into something Hinata thinks could be wonderment, but it's there so briefly he can't get a good read on it before it turns into something that is all too familiar. Hinata could spot that darkening aura anywhere, accompanied by a menacing narrowing of eyes that Kageyama has perfected. Hinata opens his mouth to say something – anything – that will prevent the inevitable barrage of anger and insults when Kageyama's narrowed eyes drop down, almost as though he's…

 _He's not looking at my lips, is he?_ And Hinata doesn't understand why, if Kageyama _is_ looking at his lips, he's doing so with such intense focus. Hinata has only seen such intensity in Kageyama before a jump float serve or in the split second before he makes his decision of who to toss to and how. His _lips_ have certainly never been the sole recipient of such singular focus.

Hinata's tongue subconsciously darts out of his mouth to wet lips that have suddenly gone dry under such a gaze and his breath hitches when Kageyama inhales deeply through his nose. The air between them crackles with a tension Hinata can't put a name to. Kageyama's mouth parts and Hinata flushes hotly. His entire body feels like it's on fire though he doesn't know why because Kageyama isn't even _doing_ anything, he's just staring at him and if he doesn't stop soon Hinata is actually going to combust so he has to say something, has to…opens his mouth to and…

And then Kageyama's body is pressing Hinata's into the wall and his hands are in his hair and his tongue is in his mouth. Hinata's legs automatically wrap around the narrow hips grinding into his and his hands seek the firm skin of Kageyama's back, digging under his shirt, as his tongue wraps around Kageyama's, tasting him, consuming him.

Or is Kageyama consuming him? He can't tell where he ends and Kageyama begins. They are a desperate mess of lips and tongue and teeth, of licking and sucking and biting, as they try to reach inside the other, fill every void. Kageyama's erection grinds into his own and Hinata gasps and arches at the contact, seeking more, seeking everything he can get. Kageyama's fingers tighten in his hair and he bites down on his lip, bringing Hinata to a place between pleasure and pain, a place full of heat and need and _want_. Hinata locks his arms around Kageyama's back and pulls him in so tightly it's as though they're merging into one being. Kageyama's hand grips Hinata's ass, fingers digging into muscle as he controls the movements of their hips, a furious rutting of hard length against hard length. Hinata gasps for air and there's a tongue running up his neck, then teeth biting down on his earlobe.

"More…" Hinata moans before biting down on Kageyama's bottom lip, eliciting an answering moan from him. Kageyama's tongue fills his mouth again as both of his hands slide into the back of Hinata's shorts, his long fingers digging into the bare flesh of his ass. _Finally_ , Hinata thinks as Kageyama starts grinding their hips together harder and faster than before in an urgent, frantic rhythm as his lips suck Hinata's tongue into his mouth. Hinata feels the dampness of pre-cum in his briefs and the rapidly building heat and tension in his gut as he strains uncontrollably towards release. The space around and between them is filled with pants and moans and groans as their lips and tongue sloppily find their counterparts, desperation overwhelming any attempt at finesse. He's on the cusp of something earth-shattering, it's filling him up and…and…

"Oi, Hinata! Kageyama!"

And Tanaka's shout breaks through his haze of lust and need. It takes him a second to realise Kageyama has stilled completely.

Tanaka yells their names again, closer this time. Panic bubbles up in Hintata's throat and he opens his mouth to respond but his tongue is still full of Kageyama's taste and his lips feel too swollen to move and his brain can't formulate a response when it's too busy trying to figure out how to reverse time, how to get those minutes – or hours, it definitely felt like hours – back, to relive them over and over and never leave.

He hears Kageyama gulp noisily and clear his throat, but his voice still comes out hoarse as he yells back, "We're here, Tanaka. Just…just give us a few minutes, we'll meet you out there!"

Hinata burns all over as he becomes aware of Kageyama's bare hands still gripping his bare ass and the painful brush of his hard cock against Kageyama's.

If Tanaka comes closer and turns that corner…

 _Oh, fuck._

There's a long, heavy pause in which Hinata swears he died a few times before Tanaka responds with "Okay then, but you only have five minutes before I'm coming back", his tone full of suspicion and wariness.

Once his footsteps recede Kageyama slams the side of his fist into the wall next to Hinata's head, making him flinch.

" _Fuck_ ," he growls as his head drops to Hinata's shoulder, his nose and lips buried in his nape.

Hinata doesn't know what to feel. He knows he feels the remnants of burning lust as his dick twitches in his shorts, demanding to know where that sweet friction went and letting him know that Kageyama's dick is still _right there_ , just waiting to be thoroughly rubbed against. However, Hinata's brain is starting to kick into gear and is trying to tell his dick that _maybe_ now isn't the time for that, _maybe_ now is the time to figure out what the fuck that was and what the fuck he's going to do about it.

But he needs to know what Kageyama feels about what happened before he can decide what he's going to do about it. And going by that 'fuck' and fist-slam? Hinata is thinking that maybe Kageyama isn't feeling too great about it.

Hinata freezes as Kageyama huffs against his neck and lifts his head, his nose trailing over his skin as he does.

He knows logically that they have to move, but damn it he doesn't _want_ to.

The choice is taken away from him when Kageyama inhales a deep breath and removes his remaining hand from Hinata's ass before taking a step back from his body, causing Hinata to slide down the wall and back onto his own two feet. It feels like forever since he's had to support his own body weight and he sways a little.

Hinata tries not to read into Kageyama's silence or the way he runs his hand through his hair in what could only be called agitation. He also tries to not notice the way Kageyama put his hands on his hips, fingers gripping so tightly the joints are turning white, and faces away, looking anywhere but at Hinata.

But he can't ignore it and he does read into it and notice it and every conclusion he comes up with is bleak. He bites his lip to keep from breaking and clears his throat.

"So…uh…we don't have to…like…um…talk about this, if you want." His voice sounds raspy so he clears his throat once more and tries again. "We can…we can pretend this never happened…" _Fuck_ , Hinata curses mentally as his throat closes up. There's no way he can get more out of it now. _Doesn't matter, I've said what I had to, right?_

Kageyama whirls around, an incredulous look on his face. "You…you want to pretend this never happened?" he all but shouts.

Hinata flinches, swallows deeply and looks to the side, unable to face Kageyama to say this. He's never considered himself a coward and he's not going to start now, but he just _can't_ look at Kageyama if he's going to say this. "No. No, I…I don't want to pretend this never happened. But…you do."

Kageyama's mouth open and closes once, twice, before sound finally emerges. "I…why would you think that?"

Hinata scuffs his shoe on the floor. "Because you looked so angry and agitated and you wouldn't even look at me," he mumbles in response, cheeks heating in embarrassment over how petulant he sounds.

The silence carries on for so long he's about to mumble "Sorry, forget about it" when Kageyama lurches forward and wraps his long arms around Hinata, drawing him into his chest and burying his face in Hinata's neck. Hinata is frozen against him as Kageyama uses one of his hands to press the back of Hinata's head into his chest, cradling him carefully and…and…lovingly?

 _What's happening right now?_

"You're such a dumbass," Kageyama whispers into his skin. "I was angry because we were interrupted before I could finish doing what I wanted to you; before I could finish what we started. I was agitated because my balls were so blue the slightest touch could set me off. I wouldn't look at you because I thought if I did you'd be right back against that wall and this time I wouldn't be stopping, no matter who came around the corner."

Hinata's hands grip the shirt over Kageyama's chest as his eyes burn with tears, happy ones this time. "Oh."

Kageyama huffs against him. "Yeah, _oh_. Dumbass. As though I'm going to let go of you now that I finally have you." He pulls back, cups Hinata's face and stares into his eyes, grave and serious. "I'm _not_ letting go of you." It sounds like both a threat and a promise.

Warmth fills Hinata up, so much he's afraid he'll explode from it. Yet despite all that wild emotion his mind snags on something…

"' _Finally'_? What…?"

Kageyama just smirks, kisses him on the forehead so quickly Hinata thinks he must have imagined it, and summarily ignores him. Then he grips his hand and pulls him along down the hallway. "I think our five minutes are up," he says in explanation.

Hinata doesn't care, he just wants to know what that _finally_ meant. Unfortunately, he doesn't get a chance to ask again because Kageyama pushes a door open in front of them and they are faced with the other members of Karasuno, standing in a loose semicircle as they are wont to do.

They're all quiet and still, which is so unusual Hinata is about to ask them what's wrong before he realises they're not looking at his and Kageyama's faces. They're looking a little further down. Hinata looks down too, trying to determine if he has something on his shirt or…

 _Oh. Right._

He and Kageyama are still holding hands. Hinata panics and tries to pull his hand from Kageyama's grasp but Kageyama doesn't let him. Instead, he laces his fingers with Hinata's and holds on even tighter. Hinata's jaw drops as he looks up at Kageyama, questioning with his gaze. But Kageyama's face holds no answers – it's as impassive and unimpressed as ever as he gazes at his teammates.

He eventually tugs on Hinata's hand again and leads him forward, directly towards the group of stunned volleyball players. Hinata is hot all over as he feels everyone's eyes on them as they walk towards the bus waiting on the curb. He's about to redouble his efforts of rescuing his hands from Kageyama's iron grasp, regardless of how nice and secure it feels there, when he starts seeing and hearing the reactions of the people around him.

"You owe me 2,000 yen." This from Tsukishima to Yamaguchi, who sighs and replies with, "Damn, I really thought they'd be clueless until second year."

 _What…they_ bet _on us?_

But before he can dwell on that particular revelation any further, he's distracted by Tanaka's arms waving in the air as he yells " _WHAT_?" at the highest possible decibel. Daichi is chuckling at Tanaka's cluelessness and smiling knowingly as Hinata and Kageyama walk past.

 _Wha…Daichi_ knew _?_

He's pulled from this thought as Suga nudges Daichi and says, "Well, it's about time."

 _And Suga_ too _? What is going_ on _?_

His confusion is momentarily put on hold as they walk past Asahi and Noya, standing closer to each other than they are anyone else as usual, in their own world just a little apart from everyone else's. Asahi looks at them in astonishment as they walk by then looks down at Noya beside him, mouth gaping, eyes wide and incredulous expression seeming to say _"We can do that?"_ Noya quirks an eyebrow up at Asahi and one side of his mouth tips up into a challenging smirk as his expression replies with _"Yeah, so what you gonna do about it?"_ Going by Asahi's mouth snapping shut in surprise and the high colour on his cheeks, it's clear he's read Noya loud and clear.

 _They…they're like us? How? When?_

Hinata can't answer this one either as they've now reached the Coach and Sensei. The former looks confused and the latter looks amused. Hinata takes in Coach's expression and thinks, _finally, someone other than Tanaka who didn't know about this before we did_ , but then that hope is completely thwarted when Coach says, "Why's everyone acting like this is unusual? Haven't they been together since I started coaching?"

Sensei laughs and replies with, "I don't think so, Ukai-kun."

 _Coach thought we were together_ this whole time _? What the hell?_

Hinata barely even registers when they pass Yachi and Kiyoko, who are both blushing and giggling behind their hands. Yachi might have given him a thumbs up too, but he must have been imagining things.

They finally reach the bus after what must be the longest walk of his life. In a daze, Hinata turns to Kageyama – who looks completely, infuriatingly unfazed by all the attention – and says, "Why didn't you let go of my hand? Look what happened!"

This finally gets a response from Kageyama, but his answering gaze is so intense Hinata kind of wishes he'd kept his mouth shut.

"Dumbass," Kageyama growls angrily. "I told you just a minute ago that I was never letting go of you." He sighs in frustration. "You never listen."

Hinata's mouth gapes open and his eyes blink rapidly in shock. "I didn't think you meant _literally_." Though his body is telling him that it's _more_ than okay with _literally_.

Kageyama huffs then pouts. Hinata is filled with light when he realises he can actually touch his fingers to it now likes he's wanted for so long. Just…maybe not in front of the rest of the team, who are still bickering too closely behind them.

Kageyama extricates his fingers from Hinata and says, "Well, I suppose I can let go, but if I do I can't finish what we started in the gym." The look he gives Hinata then is so full of heat and promise that Hinata finds himself desperately grasping onto Kageyama's hand again.

"You can hold it! You can hold it!" he squeaks, not even caring that he sounds desperate. Hell, he _is_ desperate.

Kageyama smirks at him and it's enough to make Hinata's dick twitch hopefully in his shorts. "That's what I thought," he boasts.

A part of Hinata feels like pulling his hand away to prove a point but then he realises he wouldn't be winning if he did that. Not at all.

 _Some battles are worth losing if it means winning the war_ , he thinks with a satisfied grin. He'll get back at Kageyama some other way, maybe with some sprints. _Or_ _maybe_...his dick twitches again at the dark, hot place his thoughts go.

Dazedly distracted by such thoughts and possibilities, he dutifully follows Kageyama onto the bus and settles beside him, hands still resolutely clasped. He'd be content if they never let go…except to play volleyball, of course.

Tsukishima and Yamaguchi quickly settle in behind them and as soon as the bus starts moving Tsukishima leans forwards and says, "So, if Kageyama is the King what does that make you, Hinata? His queen?"

A growl erupts from Kageyama's chest and Hinata knows shit is about to go down, so he quickly responds casually with, "Well, in chess the queen is the most powerful player on the board and does all the manoeuvring for the king, so in that way I guess I am Kageyama's queen. His queen and his ace."

He knows he's said exactly the right thing when Kageyama pulls their joined hands up and places a chaste kiss on the back of Hinata's.

Tsukishima sits back, defeated. "Fine," he grumbles, annoyed his fun is over. "We'll go with the Royal Couple then."

Hinata turns his head to see Kageyama smiling at him. "The Royal Couple," he says slowly, as though testing out the words. "I like it," he declares resolutely after a few seconds. Then his eyes darken as he grins – or, rather, Kageyama's approximation of a grin – at Hinata. "I like _us_."

Hinata grins back at him. The happiness shining through it could probably blind the sun. He has Kageyama and Kageyama has him and they both have volleyball and all is right in his world.

"I like us too."


End file.
